Pro-bicycling Earl Blumenauer, the democrat Congressman from Oregon, has succeeded in getting his 'Conserve By Bike' provision included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

0

SHARES

Conserve By Bike will be a programme run by the US Department of Transportation and will see the creation of ten pilot projects across the US designed to conserve energy resources by providing education and marketing tools to convert car trips to bike trips.

"Bicycling is one of the cleanest, healthiest, most efficient and environmentally friendly modes of transportation that exist today," Blumenauer said in support of his amendment.

"Bicycling, as an alternative to automobile travel, can be an important element of a comprehensive energy conservation strategy."

Included in the bill was a $6.2m authorization for the programme. Project results and energy savings must be documented, and the Secretary of Transportation is instructed to report to Congress on the results of the pilot program within two years of implementation.

Last week the House of Representatives approved the legislation, and the Senate followed suit on Friday. The mountain biking President is likely to sign the legislation some time this week.